New Providence, N.J. - January 21, 2006 - According to publishing statistics regarding U.S. fiction titles compiled by Bowker, the world’s leading provider of bibliographic information, Americans like their mysteries and romances set in the misty bogs of Scotland and London’s Trafalgar Square.

Deconstructing more than 13,000 works of adult fiction published in the U.S., Bowker found that 1,550 of those with an identifiable location were set in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland. New York topped the list of cities, followed by London, Los Angeles (including Hollywood), Chicago, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

In addition to London, the other non-U.S. city to make the top 10 fictional settings was Rome. California was the setting for more novels than any other state, followed by Texas, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina.

The major fictional genres of romance, mystery & detective, science fiction and westerns constituted half of all adult fiction published in the U.S. The dominant format for the fiction genre continues to be mass market and non-mass market paperback, with 65% of romance, 61% of science-fiction and 58% of mystery & detective titles published as paperbacks.

Bowker also studied the length of fiction titles and the suggested retail prices for new releases. The average science-fiction novel was 329 pages long, followed by romance at 324, mystery & detective at 292, and westerns a relatively skinny 261 pages. The average suggested retail price for mass market science-fiction novels in 2004 were $7.35, close to the average for all mass market fiction; mystery & detective novels averaged $6.94; and romances continue to be a bargain at $5.57.

According to Andrew Grabois, a consultant for Bowker, “New African-American romances and other popular fiction with African-American characters are increasing both in number and importance. Conversely, Hispanic fictional characters, which represent the fastest growing minority in the U.S., appeared in fewer titles than we expected -- barely a blip on the literary radar. This ethnically diverse segment of the population, now more highly educated than ever, may be the next growth market for fictional publishers.”

Books In Print data represents input from some 85,000 publishers. The data is sent to Bowker in electronic files, and via BowkerLink™, Bowker’s password protected web-based tool, which enables publishers to update and add their own data. On January 20th, Bowker introduced Fiction Connection, a new electronic readers' advisory tool which allows readers to identify titles similar to books they know they like, or with similar settings, character types, locations, time periods, or genres. Fiction Connection is complimentary with all BooksInPrint.com subscriptions and is available at www.FictionConnection.com.

About Bowker
Bowker is the world's leading provider of bibliographic information management solutions designed to help publishers, booksellers, and libraries better serve their customers. The company is focused on developing various tools and products that make books easier for people to discover, evaluate, order, and experience, as well as providing services to publishers that help them better understand and meet the interests of readers worldwide. Bowker is a member of the ProQuest family of companies and is headquartered in New Providence, N.J., with additional operations in England and Australia. For more information, please visit www.bowker.com.